She Has 10 Grammys, He Is $53 million in Debt

Posted on March 7, 2016, at 7:00 p.m.
by Hannah MacInnis.

Image is everything. Whether you are walking down the runway or walking down the street, there is always someone looking at you. When in the spotlight, those looks are multiplied by millions.

Public relations is all about image and reputation, so when Taylor Swift and Kanye West had yet another beef battle at the 2016 Grammy Awards, the world turned to get the facts and pick a side.

Let us rewind a few years to the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. Taylor Swift had just won Best Female Video; now cue Kanye storming the stage. “Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time,” said a disgruntled Kanye. He proceeded to apologize via Twitter after the incident, and Swift responded with a new song, “Innocent.”

Now, in 2016, Kanye is at it again, but instead of attending the Grammys, he took to Twitter. Kanye had asked Swift before the Grammys to promote his new song “Famous” on her personal Twitter account. She declined because the lyrics of the song made claims that Kanye was responsible for her fame.

Instead of retaliating in a snide way when Taylor won her 10th Grammy, her acceptance speech expressed her feminist views saying, “As the first woman to win Album of the Year at the Grammys twice, I want to say to all the young women out there: there are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame.”

Meanwhile over in the Twittersphere, Kanye “humbly” asked of his fans, “I write this to you my brothers while still 53 million dollars in personal debt… Please pray we overcome… This is my true heart…”

How does this situation relate to one’s image? A principle of public relations is creating a positive image as well as the upkeep of a positive reputation. Kanye’s publicist Gabe Tesoriero has his hands full, and Swift’s publicist, Tree Paine, is praising her for being a class act amidst the drama.

So, are you Team Yeezy or Team T-Swizzle? Head over to our Twitter to cast your vote.